Picking-motion for looms.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. J. D. GROWTH-ER & A. SYKES.

PIOKING MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1905.

UNITED sTArE s PATENT OFFICE.

LAND, ASSIGNORS TO EDWARD HOLLINGWORTH,

ENGLAND.

OF DOBCROSS,

PlCKlNG-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

No. 810,191. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 16, 1906.

Application filed May 25, 1905. Serial No. 262,112.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THEE and ALFRED SYKES, sub ects of King Edward VII of Great Britain, Brockholes, Huddersfield, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picking-Motions for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates under-pick motion for looms of the class shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 765,694; and the object of our invention is to improve upon the pickingmotion shown and described in said patent.

Our invention consists in providing means for insuring the return of the picking-stick after each pick at substantially the same speed as the pulling-back stick which, actuated by a spring, draws back the picker to its normal position after each pick.

In the under-whip-pick motion of the class referred to the picking-sticks are secured on the picking-shafts and operate consequently within the side frames of the loom, said picking-sticks being connected by leather bands, or straps or the like to the pickers. It is found in practice that in the throw of the pickingsticks, and the slack of the con necting-straps consequent upon the return of the pulling-back stick not being positive enough to return the picking-sticks always in unison, or at the same speed, or by reason of the rebound of the picking-sticks after picking, thestraps are liable to be looped over the ends of the picking-sticks, and thus cause imperfect picking orrnispicks, and in addi tion to such objectionable feature the space between the rear of the lay, when at back center, and the framework of the loom and picking-sticks is so small that any slack in the picking-straps is liable to be struck or trapped between the moving and fixed parts, and the straps injured or quickly worn.

In our improvements we provide a connection, preferably a flexible connection, between the picking-stick and the pulling-back stick, and said connection will control the picking-stick or cause it to move back at l practically the same speed as the spring-acparticularly to the tuated pulling-back stick that is, the picking-stick cannot return in advance of or at a quicker rate of speed than the pulling-back stick so that the straps connecting the picking-stick and the pulling-back stick to the picker will be maintained practically in their normal extended condition and the wear and tear of the same will be minimized and the danger of the strap being looped over the end of the picking-stick will be avoided.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is arear sectional elevation of one side of a loom, showing the lay and the under-whippick motion with our improvements applied; Fig. 2 is a detail hereinafter referred to. Fig. 3 is a rear view similar to the lower part of Fig. 1, showing a modification of our improvements; and Fig. 4 is a detail showing a modified construction of the connection between the picking-stick and the pulling-back stick.

Referring to the drawings, a is the side frame of a loom; b, the lay; b, the lay-sword c, the rocker-iron secured on the lay-swor shaft and guiding the rod 0, which'supports the shuttle-boxes; d, the picking-shaft; e, the picking-stick fast thereon and connecte by strap e to the picker f, and g the pulling-back stick pivoted at g on the rocker-iron c an also connected at its upper end by strap g to The picking-shaft d is rocked by pickingshoe on said shaft in the usual manner to throw the picking stick sharply toward the center of the loom, and by the strap connection a draw the picker in the same direction to propel the shuttle across the loom, the pulling-back stick g, which is drawn forward with the picker, serving by the retractive action of the spring h, connected at one end to the bottom of the said its opposite end to a fixed stud on the loom, to draw back the picker and picking-stick to normal position in readiness for making the next pick from the respective side of the loom, the said motion constituting the whip-pick motion. (Shown and described in said Patent No. 765,694.)

Our present invention comprises the provision of a connection, preferably flexible, between the picking-stick a and the pullingstick 9 and at reason of the picking-stick rebounding back stick 9 independent of the picker and its connecting straps to control the pickingstick, as it has been found in practice that by after being oscillated by the picking-bowl or of the picking-stick returning to normal position more rapidly than the stick 9 the connectingstrap e has been liable to be looped over, or thrown around the upper end of the pickingstick, and cause imperfect picking or mispicks or breakages of the parts. In other cases the slack of the strap e, permitted by the uncontrolled action of the picking-stick e after each pick, has doubled between the rear of the lay and the framing of the loom and been cut or rapidly worn out.

We have found by experimentthat the defects in the whip-pick motion referred to are avoided by connecting the picking-stick e and the pullingback stick 9 together at any part thereof independent of the picker and its straps. The connection between the -picking stick e and the pulling-back stick 9 in its preferred form is shown at i in Fig. 1 and consists of a stout strap or the like or of two or more straps or layers of leather, or other suitable material secured together, said strap being preferably secured to the picking-stick e and stick 9 by links i, which are pivotally connected to the part i and to the stick 6 and stick 9, so that movement of the connection 2' either in an upward or downward direction is provided for, to suit reasonable requirements.

Instead of the pivotally-jointed connection shown in Fig. 1 the strap or flexible connection 11 may besurrounded by a spiral spring j, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the ends of the spring being secured with the ends of the strap to the picking-stick e and stick 9. The spring 7' will permit of the strap buckling or bending to a reasonable extent, but will act to maintain it straight under normal conditions. Instead of the strap or connection '1 being secured to the picking-stick e and stick 9 by links i the connection 1 may be made long enough to be directly secured at its ends to the stick 6 and stick g, the flexibility of the 1 to the picking-stick it may be secured to an strap giving to any reasonable extent vertil arm or boss fast on the picking-shaft or to the cally, if the position of the stick e and stick 9 hub of the pi cking-stick. with relation to each other should at any mo- Having fully described our invention,what ment demand a giving way of the connection. we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- The flexible connection between the pickters Patent, is ing-stick e and stick g, while allowing for any i 1. In a picking-motion of a loom, the comslight movement of one part irrespective of bination with a picking-stick, and a pullingthe other, controls the return of the pickingback stick, both connected with the picker, stick after each pick, its return along with of a connection between said picking-stick, the stick 9 being positively assured, while it and pulling-back stick, said connection indecannot rebound to any material extent after pendent of the picker and its connectingpicking or overrun the return movement of straps. the stick 9, and consequently all liability of 2. In a picking-motion of a loom, the comthe strap 6 becoming slack enough to be bination with a picking-stick, and a pullinglooped over or thrown around the end of the back stick, both connected with the picker, picking-stick is avoided. We also by said of a flexible connection between said pickingmeans prevent the strap e being doubled or stick, and pulling-back stick, said connection trapped between the back of the lay and the frame of the loom.

The flexible connection 2' does not interfere with the action of the picking-stick e in picking, and it further acts to give a forward impulse to the picker through the pulling-back stick gin the event of the connecting-strap e breaking, and thereby make a half pick, whereupon the loom will be stopped and the cause of the stoppage quickly ascertained.

In Fig. 3 we show a modification of our improvements, the flexible connection in this case comprising a strap 11, which is connected at one end to an extension 6 of the picking stick or a part connected to same or fast on the picking-shaft, and at the opposite end to the lower extremity of the pulling-back stick gthat is to say, below the pivotal centers of same the flexible connection 1' in this arrangement acting, as previously described with reference to Fig. 1, to control the return movement of the picking-stick.

The pulling-back stick g is in this instance lengthened a little below the pivot center to coincide with the extension 6, as shown.

The retractingspring h may be connected to the flexible connection i as shown, or it can be connected to the stick 9, as in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4 we show a modification of the flexible connection, in which a wooden bar 2' takes the place of the leather strap, the said bar being shorter than the distance between the picking-stick and the pulling-back stick 9, and connected to said picking-stick and to the pulling-back stick by short lengths of leather or flexible straps i, secured at one end to the ends of the bar 1) and at the opposite ends to lugs on the stick 9 and'pickingstick, respectively.

It will be understood fine ourselves to the that we do not conparticular form or construction of or the position occupied by the connection 'L or t, as these may be varied v without departing from the spirit and scope of our inventionas, for instance, instead of the flexible connection 71 or i being secured independent of the picker and its connectingi In testimony whereof We affix our signastraps. tures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

3. In a loom picking-motion of the class JOSEPH D. CROWTHER. described, a picklng-stick, and a pulling-back ALFRED SYKES. 5 stick, and a connection intermediate said Witnesses:

picking-stick and said pulling-back stick, THOMAS H. BARRON,

said connection independent of the picker. ERNEST HUsTWIoK. 

